The 2005 Merlot contains 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Petit Verdot. It spent 14 months in French and American oak and was bottled unfiltered. Purple-colored, it has a splendid bouquet of pain grille, spice box, cassis, and black currants. This is followed by a plush wine with layered flavors, superb balance, and terrific length. This outstanding Merlot can be enjoyed now but merits 4-6 years of further cellaring. It should provide pleasure through 2030. Tel. (509) 525-1428, www.leonetticellar.com

Bright, saturated, and deeply colored, this poster child Merlot proves that there is no other place in the world that can do Merlot in this style. Magnificent in color, aroma, depth and texture; it is polished, elegant, firm and confident. Blossom, fruit, herb and barrel aromas are beautifully interwoven. The tightly packed fruit has it all, from red, blue and black berries on to cherry and cassis. The mid-palate, though quite full, is fleshy and tight. The acids are firm but not sour, the tannins fine and smooth and ripe. The finish, still young and compact, hints at an almost existential longevity.——P.G.(11/1/2007)—— 95